Board of Directors – CASC / ACÉC

2023/2024 Board Members

Judith Harris, Associate Professor, University of Winnipeg (President)

Dr. Harris has degrees in Economics (BA, MSc.) and Urban and Regional Planning (PhD). Her work, focused on participatory community and regional development, has taken her to villages in northern Manitoba, Holman Island, Indonesia, Tanzania and Ethiopia (with CIDA and FINIDA). Judith has been active in community development in urban and rural Ontario and Manitoba and in international contexts for 30 years. She has expertise in community engagement and community planning and has helped to establish a number of projects including the Spence Skills Bank, Frontstep Research Workers’ Co-op, the Village Co-op in Winnipeg’s north end, the Langside Learning Garden, and the Little Stars Playhouse, a child care centre. In 2021 Judith retired from her position as Associate Professor in Urban and Inner-City Studies at the University of Winnipeg. She currently teaches and manages research for the Walls to Bridges Program. Judith and staff at Stony Mountain prison hope to soon establish an Art and Writing collective at the prison. Dr. Harris has published in the Journal of Co-op Studies, the Review of International Co-operation, the Annual Review of Interdisciplinary Justice Research and Engaged Scholar Journal.

Fiona Duguid, Consultant Researcher, Duguid Consulting Inc.

Fiona Duguid (PhD) is a researcher based out of Chelsea, Quebec. She previously worked for the Co-operatives Secretariat for the Government of Canada and the Canadian Co-operative Association. She conducts research focusing on co-operatives, social economy, sustainability and community economic development. She is a Research Fellow with the Centre of Excellence on Accounting and Reporting of Co-operatives, Saint Mary’s University (SMU), and an instructor in the SMU Co-operative Business Management program, as well as the MBA program (CED) at Cape Breton University.

M. Derya Tarhan, Postdoctoral Fellow, Adult Education and Community Development, University of Toronto

Derya Tarhan is a Postdoctoral Fellow and Lecturer in Adult Education and Community Development at Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) of the University of Toronto. Tarhan’s work focuses on the theory, practice, and intersections of social and solidarity economy (SSE), community development, and socio-environmental change. In his research, Tarhan inquires into the impact, limitations, and potential of SSE organizations, specifically co-operatives, in enacting socio-environmental change, with a keen eye on popular democratic participation and social justice. He also has been involved in the forming of a renewable energy co-operative in Ontario. Tarhan’s further interests include co-operative economics, co-operatives in the energy sector, critical theory, social learning, and community development.

Isobel Findlay, Professor, University of Saskatchewan (Treasurer)

Dr. Isobel M. Findlay is professor emerita, Edwards School of Business; Fellow in Co-operatives, Diversity, and Sustainable Development, Canadian Centre for the Study of Co-operatives; and University Co-Director, Community-University Institute for Social Research, University of Saskatchewan. A winner of the 2020 Association for Cooperative Educators (ACE) Award for Outstanding Contribution to Cooperative Education and Training, she has published widely on Indigenous co-operatives; social economy; community-based research; decolonizing methodologies; decolonizing higher education; communications, cultures, and communities; diversity in organizations; partnerships and governance.

Marcelo Vieta, Assistant Professor, University of Toronto

Marcelo Vieta is Associate Professor in the Program in Adult Education and Community Development and Co-Director of the Centre for Learning, Social Economy & Work, both at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto (OISE/UT). Marcelo is the author of Workers’ Self-Management in Argentina: Contesting Neo-liberalism by Occupying Companies, Creating Cooperatives, and Recuperating Autogestión (Brill/Haymarket, 2020), and was lead researcher and lead-author of the report The Italian Road to Recuperating Enterprises and the Legge Marcora Framework: Italy’s Worker Buyouts in Times of Crisis (EURICSE, 2017), the first comprehensive study of Italy’s contemporary Marcora Law worker buyouts developed in collaboration with its cooperative sector. Marcelo is currently leading two major research projects, one assessing business conversions to cooperatives (www.coopconvert.ca, together with IRECUS and Co-operatives and Mutuals Canada) and another looking at youth-focused work integration social enterprises in Canada, and is one of the three America’s representatives on the International Co-operative Alliance’s Committee on Co-operative Research. Marcelo researches and teaches on the sociology of work, workplace and organizational learning and change, economic democracy, the social and solidarity economy, the new cooperativism, and critical theory. Regionally, he specializes in Latin America, Canada, and Italy, with a particular focus on labour and social movements in Argentina. For more, see: www.vieta.ca.

Esther Awotwe, PhD candidate, Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy, University of Saskatchewan

Esther Awotwe is a Ph.D. Candidate at the Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy, University of Saskatchewan. Her research interests include rural institutions, endogenous initiatives, self-organizing models, community economic development, regional development, governance and policy integration.

Esther is also a graduate of the Masters of Development Practice Program in Indigenous Development at the University of Winnipeg. She has also engaged in national and international development studies, having travelled across Canadaâ€™s Arctic studying local co-operatives.

In addition, Ms. Awotwe holds an Executive Masters in Business Administration (MBA) Specialization in Human Resources from the University of Ghana. Her knowledge of human resource issues and economic development indicators, particularly in at-risk communities, motivates her to pursue a people-centred approach to policy.

John Simoulidis, Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream Coordinator, Business & Society (BUSO) Program; affiliated with Interdisciplinary Social Science (ISS)

John is an Associate Professor (Teaching) in the Department of Social Science at York University in Toronto. He teaches courses on Food and run a social economy practicum in the Business and Society Program. He is involved in a number of sustainability initiatives at York. He serves as the Treasurer of Green Campus Cooperative which sells sustainably produced fair trade clothing and promotes sustainability and social justice more broadly. He is co-chair of the Fair Trade Campus Steering Committee as we are working on getting York designated a Fair Trade Campus. He is currently working on composting study of University and College campuses across Canada and setting up community composting programs at York.

Anne-Marie Merrien, B.A, M.adm, PhD, Chargée de cours et professionnelle de recherche, IRECUS, École de gestion, Université de Sherbrooke

C’est avec enthousiasme et reconnaissance que je me joins au conseil d’administration de l’ACÉC! Au cours des treize dernières années, je me suis engagée envers la recherche coopérative, à titre d’étudiante, d’enseignante et de professionnelle de recherche. Au cours de mon doctorat en Sciences humaines appliquées, j’ai eu la chance d’être accueillie par l’ACÉC lors de différents congrès et d’être récipiendaire du Lemaire Co-operativeStudiesAward. J’ai pu constater l’importance du travail réalisé par l’ACÉC et j’ai toujours trouvé fort inspirant et motivant de faire partie de ce réseau.

Mes intérêts de recherche portent sur le rôle des coopératives en matière de reconnaissance identitaire des personnes et des collectivités, en particulier dans les communautés inuites du Nunavik. Je m’intéresse également à la gouvernance coopérative des fédérations, ce qui fera l’objet de mon projet de postdoctorat. C’et d’ailleurs dans ce cadre que je poursuivrai ma collaboration avec llagiisaq/FCNQ.

La coopération est pour moi non seulement un sujet de recherche passionnant, mais également une façon d’être et de m’impliquer. J’ai eu le bonheur de participer à la mise sur pied de coopératives ou d’initiatives citoyennes (au Québec et en Amérique centrale) qui m’ont montrées combien la coopération peut se vivre autant que s’étudier.

It is with great enthusiasm and appreciation that I join the CASC Board of Directors! For the past thirteen years, I have been committed to research on co-operatives as a student, teacher and research professional. During my doctorate in Applied Humanities, I was fortunate to be welcomed by CASC at various conferences and to be the recipient of the Lemaire Co-operative Studies Award. I have seen the importance of the work done by CASC and have always found it very inspiring and motivating to be part of this network.

My research interests focus on the role of co-operatives in the recognition of individual and community identities, particularly in the Inuit communities of Nunavik. I am also interested in the governance of co-operatitve federations, which will be the focus of my post-doctoral project. In this context, I will continue my collaboration with llagiisaq/FCNQ.

Cooperation is for me not only an exciting research topic, but also a way of being and getting involved. I had the pleasure to participate in the setting up of cooperatives or citizen initiatives (in Québec and in Central America) that showed me that cooperation can be lived as well as studied.

Emi Do, Communications Specialist, SSG (Sustainability Solutions Group Workers Cooperative)

Emi Do (PhD, Tokyo University of Agriculture) came to cooperatives as a small-scale urban farmer trying to find a viable alternative to the dominant food distribution chain. The empowerment, mutuality, and solidarity underlying cooperatives sparked an interest in co-ops as a vehicle for democratizing and transforming relationships across different workplaces and contexts. Emi works at Sustainability Solutions Group–an environmental consultancy worker co-operative–in addition to being the cooperative coordinator at Young Agrarians. They are also an active member of the Community Working Group Operations Team at social.coop, helping to navigate the challenging waters of online moderation cooperatively. Emi has also served on the editorial board of ICA-AP, and was the coordinator of the Cooperative Working Group of Young Scholars Initiative. When they are not evangelizing about co-operatives, you can find Emi scampering on trails in mountain ranges around the world.

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Juliet Kego Ume-Onyido

Juliet ‘Kego Ume-Onyido is a Financial Advisor with one of the leading Financial Institutions in Canada. She is also a Social Justice Advocate, an International Speaker-Poet, and Master-Certified Leadership Coach-Trainer.
A passionate advocate of financial resilience and economic opportunities for women and youth, she is an active proponent of the cooperative movement and the solidarity economy. Juliet is a co-founder of Whole Woman Network – a Leadership, Advocacy & Empowerment Social Enterprise for BIPOC Women and Youth, focused on holistic financial literacy/liberation education and building community wealth using an
iterated, digital model of the informal financial cooperative, ROSCA (ROSCA plus), and Afrocentric indigenous lens/values/frameworks. She is also one of the 10 co-founding members and president of Black Women Professional Worker Co-op (BWPW Co-op), – a women-led multi-stakeholder cooperative linking women of African descent in the agro-food chain and other professional sectors, from the global
north and south, and supporting them to collaborate, start up, operationalize and scale up their operations into mainstream retail channels. As a feminist and poet, her works of poetry amplify the lived experiences of women and girls, and proceeds from her global poetry recitals and speaking
engagements support the education and empowerment of vulnerable girls and women in under-served communities across Africa. Juliet’s other areas of advocacy include ending Gender Based Violence, STEM, WASH, Menstrual Health access; Quality & Affordable Public School Education; Child Rights; Women in Leadership; Environmental Sustainability. Her educational background and professional experiences span multi-disciplinary fields: Engineering, International Business, Gender Studies, Wealth Management & Financial Advisory. She has an MBA from the University of Manchester, UK, and has
worked and consulted for Honeywell Group, American Express, Emex Systems, MIS Systems, Edward Jones Investments, Sun Life Financial. She is a coach-strategist for several Governmental agencies and Corporate Leaders. She is on the advisory board of several organizations in USA, Canada, Nigeria, such as Global Rights, WAAW Foundation, EnvironFocus, Canadian Worker Co-op Federation, PARO Women’s Enterprise Centre, BOAT Lifebank Foundation.

Rafael Ziegler

Associate Professor, Department of Management, HEC Montreal

Rafael Ziegler is a professor at HEC Montréal and director of its Alphonse and Dorimène Desjardins International Institute for Cooperatives. He holds a BSc. from the London School of Economics and a PhD from McGill University. He is associate editor of the Journal of Human Development and Capabilities and the Journal of Social Entrepreneurship, and member of the Réseau québécois de recherche en économie circulaire (Québécois Network for Research in Circular Economy – RQREC). Rafael has published the books Creating Economic Space for Social Innovation (Oxford 2019, with Alex Nicholls) and Innovation, Ethics and Our Common Futures (Edward Elgar 2020).

2022/2023 Board Members

Judith Harris, Associate Professor, University of Winnipeg (President)

Fiona Duguid, Consultant Researcher, Duguid Consulting Inc.

M. Derya Tarhan, Postdoctoral Fellow, Adult Education and Community Development, University of Toronto

Isobel Findlay, Professor, University of Saskatchewan (Treasurer

Claude-André Guillote, Director of IRECUS, Université de Sherbrook

Marcelo Vieta, Assistant Professor, University of Toronto

Mitch Diamantopoulos, Associate Professor, University of Regin

Darryl Reed, Professor, York University

Esther Awotwe, PhD candidate, Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy, University of Saskatchewan

John Simoulidis, Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream Coordinator, Business & Society (BUSO) Program; affiliated with Interdisciplinary Social Science (ISS)

2021/2022 Board Members

Judith Harris, Associate Professor, University of Winnipeg (President)
Fiona Duguid, Consultant Researcher, Duguid Consulting Inc.
M. Derya Tarhan, PhD Candidate, Adult Education and Community Development, University of Toronto
Isobel Findlay, Professor, University of Saskatchewan (Treasurer)
Claude-André Guillote, Director of IRECUS, Université de Sherbrooke
Marcelo Vieta, Assistant Professor, University of Toronto
Mitch Diamantopoulos, Associate Professor, University of Regina
Darryl Reed, Professor, York University
Laurie Cooke, Professor, York University

2020/2021 Board Members

Judith Harris, Associate Professor, University of Winnipeg (President)
Fiona Duguid, Consultant Researcher, Duguid Consulting Inc.
M. Derya Tarhan, PhD Candidate, Adult Education and Community Development, University of Toronto
Isobel Findlay, Professor, University of Saskatchewan (Treasurer)
Claude-André Guillote, Director of IRECUS, UniversitÃ© de Sherbrooke
Sara Elder, University of British Columbia
Marcelo Vieta, Assistant Professor, University of Toronto
Lisa Mychajluk, PhD Candidate, Adult Education and Community Development, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto
Mitch Diamantopoulos, Associate Professor, University of Regina
Darryl Reed, Professor, York University
Laurie Cooke, Professor, York, University

2019/2020 Board Members

Judith Harris, Associate Professor, University of Winnipeg (President)
Vesta Sahatçiu, Producer, Each For All at Co-op Radio (Vice-President)
Fiona Duguid, Consultant Researcher, Duguid Consulting Inc.
M. Derya Tarhan, PhD Candidate, Adult Education and Community Development, University of Toronto
Isobel Findlay, Professor, University of Saskatchewan (Treasurer)
Claude-André Guillote, Director of IRECUS, UniversitÃ© de Sherbrooke
Sara Elder, University of British Columbia
Kevin Morris, Credit Union Central of Canada
Marcelo Vieta, Assistant Professor, University of Toronto
Lisa Mychajluk, PhD Candidate, Adult Education and Community Development, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto
Mitch Diamantopoulos, Associate Professor, University of Regina
Darryl Reed, Professor, York University
Luc Theriault, Professor, University of New Brunswick (Special Advisor)

2018/2019 Board Members

Fiona Duguid, Consultant Researcher, Duguid Consulting Inc. (President)
Mumtaz Derya Tarhan, PhD student, Adult Education and Community Development, University of Toronto (Vice-President)
Isobel Findlay, Professor, University of Saskatchewan (Treasurer)
Claude-André Guillote, Director of IRECUS, UniversitÃ© de Sherbrooke
Judith Harris, Associate Professor, University of Winnipeg
Marc-André Pigeon, Director of Financial Sector Policy, Credit Union Central of Canada
Darryl Reed, Professor, York University
Sara Elder, University of British Columbia
Jayne Bergeron, International Development Research Center
Kevin Morris, Credit Union Central of Canada

2017/18 Board Members

2016/17 Board Members

Fiona Duguid, Consultant Researcher, Duguid Consulting Inc. (President)
Mumtaz Derya Tarhan, PhD student, Adult Education and Community Development, University of Toronto (Vice-President)
Isobel Findlay, Professor, University of Saskatchewan (Treasurer)
Claude-André Guillote, Director of IRECUS, UniversitÃ© de Sherbrooke
Judith Harris, Associate Professor, University of Winnipeg
Alicia Lake, MBA in CED, Cape Breton University, and Coordinator, Pan Cape Breton Food Hub Co-op
Marc-André Pigeon, Director of Financial Sector Policy, Credit Union Central of Canada
Darryl Reed, Professor, York University

2015/16 Board Members

Fiona Duguid, Consultant Researcher, Duguid Consulting Inc. (President)
Justin Ellerby, MBA in CED, Cape Breton University (Vice-President)
Isobel Findlay, Professor, University of Saskatchewan (Treasurer)
Claude-André Guillote, Director of IRECUS, UniversitÃ© de Sherbrooke
Judith Harris, Associate Professor, University of Winnipeg
Alicia Lake, MBA in CED, Cape Breton University, and Coordinator, Pan Cape Breton Food Hub Co-op
Marc-André Pigeon, Director of Financial Sector Policy, Credit Union Central of Canada
Darryl Reed, Professor, York University
Mumtaz Derya Tarhan, PhD student, Adult Education and Community Development, University of Toronto

2014/15 Board Members

Darryl Reed, Associate Professor, York University (President)
Isobel Findlay, Associate Professor, University of Saskatchewan (Treasurer)
Fiona Duguid, Consultant Researcher, Duguid Consulting Inc. (Program Chair)
Alli Floroff, Green Campus Co-operative, York University
Claudia Sanchez-Bajo, Chair in Co-operative Enterprises, University of Winnipeg
Claude-Andre Guillote, Director of IRECUS, UniversitÃ© de Sherbrooke
Justin Ellerby, graduate student, Cape Breton University (Vice-President)
Marc-André Pigeon, Director of Financial Sector Policy, Credit Union Central of Canada (joined January 2015)

2013/14 Board Members

Darryl Reed, Associate Professor, York University (President)
Erin Hancock, Manager of Research and Education, Co-operatives and Mutuals Canada (Vice President)
Isobel Findlay, Associate Professor, University of Saskatchewan (Treasurer)
Fiona Duguid, Consultant Researcher, Duguid Consulting Inc. (Program Chair)
Marcelo Vieta, Postdoctoral Fellow, Social Economy Centre, OISE/University of Toronto
Alli Floroff, Green Campus Co-operative, York University

2012/13 Board Members

Darryl Reed, Associate Professor, York University (President)
Erin Hancock, Manager of Research and Education, Canadian Co-operative Association (Vice President)
Monica Adler, Instructor, University of Winnipeg
Ana Maria Peredo, Centre for the Study of Co-operatives and Community-based Economy, University of Victoria
Fiona Duguid, Research Officer, Canadian Co-operative Association
Marcelo Vieta, Postdoctoral Fellow, Social Economy Centre, OISE/University of Toronto
Isobel Findlay, Associate Professor, University of Saskatchewan

2011/2012 Board Members

Darryl Reed, Associate Professor, York University (President)
Monica Adler, Instructor, University of Winnipeg (Vice President)
Tanya Gracie, Canadian Co-operative Association
Fiona Duguid, Senior Policy Research Analyst, Rural and Co-operatives’ Secretariat
Marcelo Vieta, Social Researcher, York University
Isobel Findlay, Associate Professor, University of Saskatchewan

2010/2011 Board Members

Darryl Reed, Associate Professor, York University (President)
Doug Lionais, Assistant Professor, Cape Breton University
Joy Emmanuel, Co-operative Researcher and Practitioner (Vice President)
Isobel Findlay, Associate Professor and Co-operative Researcher, Univeristy fo Saskatchewan (Secretary-Treasurer)
Tanya Gracie, Canadian Co-operative Association
Marcelo Vieta, Communication Researcher, York University
Fiona Duguid, Canadian Co-operative Secretariat
Catherine Leviten-Reid (ex-officio)

2009/2010 Executive Board

Joy Emmanuel, Co-operative Researcher and Practitioner
Tanya Gracie, Canadian Co-operative Association
Catherine Leviten-Reid, Assistant Professor, University of Saskatchewan (President)
Doug Lionais, Assistant Professor, Cape Breton University
Robin Puga, Practitioner, CanTrust Hosting Co-operative and Vancouver Co-op Radio
Darryl Reed, Associate Professor, York University
Luc Thériault, Professor, University of New Brunswick (Vice-president)

2008/2009 Executive Board

Leslie Brown, Professor, Mount Saint Vincent University
Tanya Gracie, Canadian Co-operative Association
Catherine Leviten-Reid, Postdoctoral Fellow, Centre for the Study of Co-operatives, University of Saskatchewan (President)
J.J. McMurtry, Assistant Professor, York University (Interim Secretary/Treasurer)
Robin Puga, Board Member, Vancouver Co-op Radio and Co-host of Each for All: The Co-operative Connection (Vice-president)
Janel Smith, Research Coordinator/Social Economy Student Network Coordinator, British Columbia Institute for Co-operative Studies, University of Victoria
Luc Theriault, Associate Professor, University of New Brunswick

2007/2008 Executive Board

Ellen Goddard, President
Sonja Novkovic, Vice-President
J.J. McMurtry, Executive Member
Getu Hailu, Treasurer
Michael Gertler, Past President

2006/07 Executive Board

Ellen Goddard, President
Sonja Novkovic, Vice-President
J.J. McMurtry, Executive Member
Getu Hailu, Treasurer
Michael Gertler, Past President

2005/06 Executive Board

Michael Gertler, President
Sonja Novkovic, Vice-President
Brian T. Oleson, Executive Member
Getu Hailu, Treasurer
Fiona Duguid, Student Member
Jason Heit, Student Member
Jorge Sousa, Past President